If you’ve lived with diabetes for a while, you probably realized that sometimes you might suffer from insulin resistance.
People with all types of diabetes can suffer from insulin resistance, and the longer they suffer from diabetes, the more likely they are to experience this.
There are many ways to manage insulin resistance, but one of the best and easiest changes is to eat every day.
In this article, we explore the insulin-resistant diet for diabetes, the foods you eat, the foods you should avoid, and how to better manage your life’s insulin resistance.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance, also known as insulin sensitivity disorders, occurs when the body begins to resist the hormone insulin, causing high blood sugar levels, increased insulin needs and weight gain.
This accumulated resistance to insulin can occur in people with type 1, type 2, pre-diabetes, or gestational diabetes. It also occurs in the general population, but the effects are less obvious when you are not taking exogenous insulin.
Insulin resistance is one of the main reasons why some people with type 2 diabetes need to start taking insulin in the end, and one of the reasons why people with type 1 diabetes need more insulin over time.
What causes insulin resistance?
The exact reasons for insulin resistance remain a mystery, but some risk factors increase the likelihood of increasing insulin resistance, including:
- Genetic Components (Some scientists have isolated genes that are thought to be susceptible to insulin resistance)
- Age (over 45)
- Diabetic parent or sibling
- History of gestational diabetes, heart disease, or stroke
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Being overweight or obese
Why these risk factors? Scientists believe that excess fat cells in the body can exacerbate inflammation, and physiological stress contributes to higher insulin resistance.
Why is it poor insulin resistance?
Taking more insulin is not necessarily bad. What’s harmful to your health is when you have to take an increased insulin for the same number of carbohydrates.
Insulin resistance means that a person needs to take more insulin to manage their blood sugar levels, otherwise they fight persistent hyperglycemia, which can cause diabetes complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputation, and even early death.
In the short term, insulin resistance can lead to unwanted weight gain, which can contribute to obesity, and may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes in diabetic patients and those at risk of diabetes.
Over time, insulin resistance can lead to a condition called the metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance syndrome. This chronic condition includes combinations of adverse effects such as:
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Hyperglycemia
- Extra fat around the waist
Eat to fight insulin resistance
When dieting to fight insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity, the focus should be on many unprocessed whole foods.
Highly processed foods containing simple sugars such as blood sugar levels in white bread, cakes, cookies and ice cream spikes lead to insulin resistance quickly and over time.
Furthermore, foods high in saturated fats have been shown to exacerbate insulin resistance, such as sausages, bacon, cheese, and butter.
The following foods should be eaten in abundance
Insulin-resistant diet should not be overly restricted. As long as you focus on unprocessed foods, your diet plan can include almost any food group.
Non-flexible vegetables
You can’t get the wrong vegetables, especially those with lush green, low-carb vegetables. Vegetables are full of healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals, and are usually low in sugar and carbohydrates.
Aim for 2-3 cups of vegetables (or even more!) per day to get all the benefits and increase insulin sensitivity. The best vegetables to eat are:
- Kale
- spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Rent
- Japanese white radish
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- asparagus
- Green Beans
- green pepper
- Brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- Onion
fruit
Fruits can have a bad reputation because of their natural high sugar and carbohydrates.
However, in its natural overall form, it causes much lower blood sugar spikes than processed candies and treats. Additionally, it has the added benefits of fiber, essential vitamins, rich minerals and antioxidants to recharge your meal.
Don’t be afraid to eat fruit! Aim for 1.5-2 cups of fruit per day. Some of the best fruits to eat for insulin resistance include:
- blueberry
- strawberry
- blackberries
- raspberry
- Green banana
- coconut
- avocado
- tomato
- Canterope
- honeydew
- fig
- plum
- peach
Related: 10 fruits with low sugar
Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes are very healthy for you, especially if you are eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.
These superfoods are full of protein, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. They will fulfill you longer and fight insulin resistance at its core. Aim for 2.5 cups per day.
The best beans and legumes to eat are:
- Lentils
- Black beans
- Kiri beans
- Chickpeas
- Pinto Beans
- Lima beans
Lean protein
Protein is excellent at controlling blood glucose, but saturated fats in many meats and cheeses contribute to insulin resistance.
Aim for 0.36 grams of protein per pound per day, according to the National Institutes of Health Nutrition Standards Intake Report.
This means that the average sedentary man should eat about 56 grams of protein per day, while the average woman should eat about 46 grams. If you are physically active, you may need more.
These are the best lean proteins to focus on improving insulin sensitivity.
- salmon
- mackerel
- Tuna
- Monkfish
- trout
- sardine
- halibut
- flounder
- lobster
- Scallops
- shrimp
- Skinless chicken breast
- White turkey meat
- Cornish Hen
- Lean cut of pork tenderloin
- Veel loin chop
- Lamb chop (lean)
- Egg whites (limit egg yolks that are high in saturated fat)
- Tofu
- Tempe
- Seitan
- Texture Vegetable Protein (TVP)
- Nutritional yeast (and also an excellent source of vitamin B!)
The following foods should be eaten in moderation
Healthy fat
Healthy fats do not worsen insulin resistance. Healthy fats provide essential fatty acids, slow digestion and increase the uptake of vitamins and minerals in the foods you eat.
The best healthy fats to eat are:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Unrefined, Cold Pressed)
- Nuts such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazilian nuts, hazelnuts and more
- Seeds such as flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- Nut butter such as almond butter and peanut butter
Whole Grains
Whether you live with diabetes or not, the whole untreated carbohydrates are an important source of fuel.
Eating these in moderation will not worsen your insulin resistance. Also, focusing on minimally processed whole grains can improve insulin sensitivity.
Make sure to count carbohydrates properly.
- Whole grain bread on stone ground
- Whole wheat bread
- Bulgar wheat
- brown rice
- Cornmeal
- Rye
- Milk
- Quinoa
- Faro
- buckwheat
- Steel cut oats
Low-fat dairy products
Dairy products are filled with foods you eat, as long as they are not full of saturated fats. Load these dairy products to protect insulin sensitivity.
- Low-fat mozzarella cheese
- Low-fat goat cheese
- Low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt (taste)
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Low-fat or non-fat milk (or almonds, soy, or coconut milk)
Also drink at least 8 glasses of water per day (8 ounces per glass) and enjoy a drink that does not add any sugar: coffee or tea (if you don’t struggle with caffeine).
To avoid insulin resistance, the following foods should be restricted
If you fill your plate with lots of, unprocessed food, you shouldn’t feel like you’re missing out too! Avoid these foods that exacerbate insulin resistance.
- Packaged processed food
- “White” carbohydrates such as chips, pretzels, cookies, and cakes
- Foods with added sugar, such as ice cream, brownies, chocolate
- Foods that are high in saturated fats, such as bacon, sausages, full-fat cheese, and milk
- Soda and fruit juice
- pasta
Conclusion
There is no magic “treatment” for insulin resistance, and many people with diabetes tend to experience the phenomenon over time.
However, there are strategies you can employ to alleviate your condition, such as increasing exercise, losing weight, adjusting your medication (always check with your doctor first), increasing sleep, improving stress management, and, above all, changing your diet.
Having a diet focused on an entire raw food full of fiber is an ideal way to combat insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity.
Include plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean protein in your diet, along with plenty of water, while avoiding foods with saturated fats, sugar-added and highly processed foods.
